Italian$$carrollwood
Noble Crust in Carrollwood runs neighborhood Italian-American with wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta and a Southern-Italian heritage on the entree side.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Eggplant parmesan, House-made pasta
Order: Wood-fired sausage pizza, eggplant parmesan and a glass of Chianti from the Italian-only wine list.
Tip: Big patio and bar area, kid-friendly weekday lunch; the Sunday gravy special runs all weekend.
Mediterranean$$north-hyde-park
Petra on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa has served halal-certified Jordanian and Palestinian dishes since 2004, with mansaf and shawarma as the table builders.
Signature: Mansaf lamb shank, Chicken shawarma, Knafeh
Order: Mansaf lamb shank with yogurt sauce, the chicken shawarma wrap and the knafeh for dessert.
Tip: Halal-certified; gluten-free menu available except the pita; lunch special runs until 3pm.
Italian$$$$carrollwood
Donatello on Dale Mabry has run formal Italian service in Tampa since 1984, with tableside Caesar prep, osso buco and a captain-led wine program.
Signature: Veal saltimbocca, Osso buco, Tableside Caesar
Order: Tableside Caesar followed by veal saltimbocca with a glass of Brunello.
Tip: Jacket-preferred dining room; reservations a week ahead and book the captain section for the full tableside service.
Japanese ramen$$seminole-heights
Ichicoro Ramen in Seminole Heights opened in 2015 in a converted Florida Avenue bungalow and pulls Tampa's benchmark tonkotsu broth and pork bao.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Karaage, Bao buns
Order: Tonkotsu Ichicoro ramen with the slow-cooked chashu, karaage on the side and a bao bun.
Tip: No reservations; the small dining room turns over fast and the patio takes overflow at peak.
Steakhouse$$$$hyde-park
Bern's Steak House in Tampa's Hyde Park has dry-aged beef in house since 1956 and pours from the largest restaurant wine cellar in the world.
Signature: Dry-aged Delmonico, Chateaubriand for two, Caviar service
Order: Dry-aged Delmonico medium rare with French onion soup and a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar after dinner.
Tip: Every table gets a kitchen tour and an upstairs dessert-room cubby; book the dessert room as a separate reservation if Bern's is full.
Spanish Cuban$$$ybor-city
The Columbia Restaurant on East Seventh Avenue has plated 1905 Salad and Cuban sandwiches in Ybor City since 1905 and is Florida's oldest restaurant.
Signature: 1905 Salad, Cuban sandwich, Paella a la Valenciana, Spanish bean soup
Order: 1905 Salad tableside, Cuban sandwich with the house Cuban bread, and the Spanish bean soup.
Tip: Book the flamenco performance nights Monday through Saturday; the restaurant spans an entire city block with 15 dining rooms.